Finding Serenity
by axdorkxable
Summary: Set two years after BDM  Serenity . Although River is a fine pilot and her episodes are rare, Serenity needs a new pilot; only, they don't know it yet.
1. Prologue

**Title: **Finding Serenity

**Summary: **Set two years after BDM (Serenity). Although River is a fine pilot and her episodes are rare, Serenity needs a new pilot; only, they don't know it yet.

**Disclaimer: **All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**Spoilers: **None

**Archiving:** Ask for permission.

**AN: **No beta so sorry for the mistakes. I am taking a break from my other stories, but a new chapter of _Snapshots_ and the sequal to _Amy's Choice_ is in the works.

**Finding Serenity**

**Prologue**

She was out of breath, panting and huffing as she continued to run. With each breath, with each pounding footstep, her vision grayed as she struggled to remain conscious. Rounding a street corner she almost stopped at the sight before her. Had it not been for her injuries, she could have stared for hours.

The rain was pounding down on her, causing her clothes to become heavy and stick to her body. Her short, blonde hair sticking to her face as she struggled the last few yards. She was fading, fast.

The vessel before her was one of a few; it's body damaged, but fixed with loving care, the ancient machine still ran for it's crew. Despite the heavy rain, she could still make out the name of the vessel, the one she had been searching for, for so long: _Serenity._

As she got within a few feet, she saw the hanger was open and five people were arguing inside. She didn't recognize four of them, but only one mattered. She could only scream one thing before her world went black:

"Kaylee!"


	2. Part 1

**Title: **Finding Serenity

**Summary: **Set two years after BDM (Serenity). Although River is a fine pilot and her episodes are rare, Serenity needs a new pilot; only, they don't know it yet.

**Disclaimer: **All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**Spoilers: **None

**Archiving:** Ask for permission.

**Finding Serenity**

**Part 1**

Kaylee pursed her lips as she looked through the infirmary windows, watching the unconscious woman's chest rise and fall with each breath. Despite Simon's cleaning, the woman still had a fair amount of blood on her skin and in her hair.

The woman's wounds, from what Simon had told her and the rest of the crew, were shocking; two broken ribs, a punctured lung, a dislocated shoulder, gun shot wounds to the thigh and side, multiple lacerations, internal bleeding. All in all, this woman should be dead.

Again.

It had been twelve years, but the woman in front of her still looks the same; although back then the woman in the infirmary was more gangly then muscular like she was now. She had finally filled into her curves, and her body didn't look like she hadn't been starved for weeks on end. The once shoulder length blonde hair was now cut pixie like. Scars now littered nearly every part of the woman's 5'4 frame. She had changed.

"Do ya know who she is?"

Kaylee sighed and turned, finally acknowledging the Mal, who was laying in wait along with River and Simon. "Yes, or, at least, I did twelve years ago."

"Wanna specify that?"

Kaylee pinched the bridge of her nose, looking far more morose than Mal had seen her in so many years. "Her name is Jamie Starr. She was an orphan back at home, but she was my _jie jie_.

"Then one day, she just disappeared. No one saw her; leave the planet or otherwise. We all assumed she was dead."

"Obviously ain't dead _feng le,_" Jamie rasped from the infirmary, sitting up in the bed.

"Jamie!" Kaylee gasped and ran to her friend, stopping short of the bed. Simon was right behind her. "Are you okay? Stupid question, of course yer not okay."

Jamie gave her a pained chuckle. "Still a rattler I see. Where's that Captain of yer's? I need ta speak with him."

Mal stepped foreword. "Miss Starr, maybe you can tell us what tha hell is goin' on?"

"Are we off the planet?"

Mal frowned, but nodded. "Yes, we left as soon as you came aboard."

Jamie sighed and relaxed fully against the infirmary bed. "Good. We should be safe for now." She took a deep breath, wincing as her ribs protested.

"Captain, maybe we should let her rest," Simon spoke up from beside Jamie.

Kaylee frowned and took Jamie's hand in hers. "We can wait _jie jie._"

Jamie shook her head, but she squeezed Kaylee's hand in comfort. "Just give me a few more minutes doc, then you can do all you want with me. You'll want to hear this too."

Simon hesitated for a few seconds, before nodding. "Fine."

"Thank you. I'm guessing Kaylee told you 'bout what happened those years ago?" When she got nods, she continued. "I wasn't dead, as you thought. I was kidnapped by some slave traders."

Kaylee gasped. "Did they?"

Jamie nodded solemnly, but didn't verify. "They transported us from planet to planet, and used us to get profit."

"_Liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze!_" Kaylee cussed, her free hand forming into a fist.

Jamie's eyes widened. "Kaylee!"

"It's true!"

"Alright!" Mal intervened. "What happened next?"

"Right," Jamie nodded, as if to solidify everything. "When I wasn't…doin' anything, I started workin' out, and helpin' some of the other kids. There were only ten of us, and nearly twenty men, but we were hopin' to escape. We managed to take down our guards and we escaped.

"For nearly three years, I was a free woman. I had a small ship, piloting a few people around and finding odd jobs. Those traders never found me, so I thought I was safe. Until you saw me, that is. I had known, from stories, that _mei mei_ worked on Serenity, I was excited when I heard you had landed here. I was 'bout to visit when these men came up asking if I knew a River or Simon Tam. When I didn't, they started listin' off other names, including kaylee's. They must've known I was lyin' when I said I didn't know her. I managed to take one out, but I don't know 'bout the other one."

Mal's eyes narrowed. "_Tsway-niou._"

"Truth." Everyone turned, finding River leaning heavily against the doorway; one arm around her stomach, the other on her head.

"She tellin' the truth l'il 'tross?"

"_Shi,_" River affirmed. "Two by two, hands of blue."

Simon moved to his sister's side. "Why didn't you sense anything _mei mei?_"

River frowned. "Don't know. Only see blackness."

"What does that mean?" Mal demanded.

River scowled, seemingly transforming before their eyes. "I do not know why I didn't sense them. And I can only read Jamie's surface thoughts, but everything else is hidden."

Mal looked at Jamie then back at River. "Is she harmless?"

"Would've shot her already."

Jamie shivered. "That's comforting."

River grinned and Mal rolled his eyes. "River, go back to the bridge an' do…pilot-y stuff."

"Yes Captain Daddy!" She said before skipping off.

Jamie snickered, but it was cut off in mid yawn. Simon saw the yawn, and Jamie's eyes drooping. "Alright, everyone out. My patient needs to rest." Mal went to protest, but he was cut off. "No. My patient, my rules."

Mal scowled. "Fine."

Kaylee watched the Captain leave before she turned to Simon. "Mind if I stay here?"

Simon hesitated for a moment. "Fine. Only if she gets some rest."

"_Mei mei_, you don't have to stay," Jamie objected.

"I'm stayin' and that's final."

Jamie grinned, her eyes slipping shut as she finally gave into her body's needs. "That's my _mei mei._"

* * *

Translations:

_jie jie - big sister_

_feng le - crazy_

_mei mei - little sister_

_liou coe shway duh biao-tze huh hoe-tze duh ur-tze - Stupid son of a drooling whore and a monkey._

_tsway-niou - bullcrap_

_Shi - affirmative_


End file.
